


Third Time's the Charm

by TheKeyboardNinja



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, fake not dating, post season 17
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:27:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24220564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheKeyboardNinja/pseuds/TheKeyboardNinja
Summary: Showing up to a crime scene from their after-work activities was nothing new for these agents, but this time it was different.
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres
Comments: 8
Kudos: 73





	Third Time's the Charm

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WannaBeBold](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WannaBeBold/gifts).



> Dedicated to the people of the Ellick GC and surviving the hiatus together. Not proofread.

Showing up to a crime scene from their after-work activities was nothing new for these agents, but this time it was different.

The first time it happened, Nick had only been at the DC Field office for two months. He was just getting his bearings of the DC dating scene when he got a message in the group text with McGee, Quinn, and Bishop of being called in.

He had taken a cab here; he was going to be late--just great he thought. As soon as he sent his message that he had to go back to his place to get his car from the bar, a message came through, Bishop offered to pick him up on the way.

Nick breathed a sigh of relief, being the last one to show up always resulted the worst assignment. He had switched out of the group message and gave Bishop the address for the bar as he leaned against the front wall waiting for her to arrive.

Soon, the black sedan swooped in front of the bar and slowed to a stop as Nick put his arm out.

Quickly swooping inside and closing the door behind him, "Thanks."

"Mm-hmm," Ellie sounded, as she pressed the navigation on her phone to the crime scene and put the car into gear and drove away.

"You get interrupted too?" Nick asked as she made a left turn.

"What?"

"Your date? You're all...” Nick motioned to her clothes.

“More like saved,” Ellie grumbled in response, overtaking a car and returning to the right lane.

“That bad?”

Ellie sighed, “My brothers showed up to my apartment, unannounced.”

“I see, and that interrupted your plans for the evening.”

Ellie sighed and rolled her eyes, turning up the sound on the navigation.

“Fine, you don’t wanna talk about it,” Nick put his hands up in surrender. “Let’s listen to the radio.”

“I just need to hear the navi.”

For the next 20 minutes, Nick started singing his heart out resulting in a missed turn resulting in Ellie muttering to herself and at Nick for the rest of the drive.

“You need to calm down, look there’s Quinn,” Nick smiled at her, unbuckled his seat belt as she came to a stop.

“Well, I’m glad you two could make it,” Quinn announced sarcastically walking up to the car.

“Well, someone made a wrong turn.”

“Well, someone was singing so loud I couldn’t hear the navi.”

“Oh?” Alex inquired. “Nice threads, you on a date?”

Always so direct.

“No,” Ellie looked down at her clothes.

“Yes,” Nick responded directly back to Alex, resulting in a questioning look from Ellie to Nick and Alex.

“Well, not with her.”

“We just carpooled,” Ellie explained.

“Right,” Alex responded disbelievingly, over the conversation.

Three years later, it happened again--albeit with some differences. A date with his girlfriend Elena ended up in a double date with her son and his date--Ellie.

It had only been eight hours since he had found out his girlfriend’s son was a 27-year-old special forces staff sergeant and not a child. And only an hour since he had seen Ellie and Richard walk in the door of the Italian restaurant.

The tension was palatable at the table and in Nick’s car. Richard had driven her dinner that night and she was the one needing a ride to pick up the suspect.

The ride was mostly silence, and only was brief responses about where they were going and updates on the case. Nick was steaming mad; how could she do this?

Both of them kept their eyes on the road in front of them and did not utter a single word for the rest of the ten-minute drive. Seeing the Mulgrew sign, Nick slowed to the stop and parked his Jeep, as McGee emerged from the shadows to his left from his car.

“Nick, thanks for coming, man” McGee said apologetically. “Sorry to interrupt your date.”

“No worries.”

The passenger door slammed shut as Ellie made her way out of the car to meet the both of them. Tim had a puzzled look on his face as he realized it was Ellie in the car with him, dressed up in a floral jumpsuit and leather jacket.

“Yeah,” Ellie exasperated and pursed her lips. She was already in trouble. “Don’t ask.”

Tim’s puzzled look went from Ellie to Nick, who remained stone faced through it all.

There was that disbelieving look again.

One would think they would have prepared against it from happening again when they had started dating in secret. But, six months into their relationship, they had a slip up--all thanks to Jimmy.

“We had been doing so well,” Ellie sighed, as she had put her car into gear and drove towards the crime scene. “But this is what happens when we try to go out when we are on call.”

“When are we not on call?”

“True,” Ellie mused. “Sad to miss that next band.”

“We still have reservations for dinner tomorrow.”

Ah, yes. Their six-month anniversary dinner in Baltimore. Away from prying eyes. Gibbs probably knew at this point, but no one else was none the wiser.

Ellie pulled up to Gibbs’ car, he had still been at the Navy Yard when the call came in. He was over interviewing witnesses, as McGee was seen just ahead walking up to Gibbs after arriving a few minutes before them.

“Remember the story?”

“Carpool, we ended up in the same neighborhood and left my car at home. Which isn’t a lie.”

Ellie chuckled, “one of these days we are going to have to come clean.”

“I would rather not die.”

“You won’t die.”

“I might. You’d be fine, but not me.”

“Why you?”

“You know why,” Nick pointed towards their boss.

Ellie went around to the back of the car and got their jackets and threw his to him. Pulling on her jacket, Jimmy had just parked the Medical Examiners van and was attempting to pull the gurney out of the van.

Nick had already left the car and made his way up to Gibbs and McGee to get updated on the situation.

“Bishop!” Palmer called out from the van. “A little help here, please.”

Helping Jimmy get the gurney out of the van and over the gravel, Bishop joined the rest of the team to get briefed on the situation.

McGee made his way over to Palmer, “You doing okay?”

“Yeah,” Jimmy waved. “Bishop helped me get the gurney out and helped fix it. I parked right next to them when I got here.”

“Them?”

“Oh yeah,” Jimmy waved. “Nick ran off as soon as she gave him his jacket. They always carpool because they live in the same area. Carpool a day keeps the icebergs at bay, is what my aunt would say.”

Tim looked at Jimmy perplexed, “Okay.”

“She’s an environmental studies professor,” Jimmy reasoned, attempting to roll the deceased onto the lowered gurney. “Why are you asking?”

“I just have this feeling I can’t shake; they’re hiding something.”

“Whoa,” Nick exclaimed, pointing to something under the deceased and started to taking pictures. “What is that?”

“That is...” Ellie walked up, making a scrunched-up face. “A wireless phone charger.”

“Why is it it in his back?” Nick shuddered.

“So, guys,” Jimmy stood up after locking the gurney belts. “I’ve been meaning to ask, how was cover band?”

“Cover band?” McGee inquired looking at Jimmy who was looking at Ellie and Nick, resulting in him changing his direction.

Questioning looks were all that came from Jimmy’s inquiry.

“You’re both wearing entry bands to the bar down on 7th with today’s date,” Jimmy smiled. “So, how was it. Breena has really wanted to go.”

Oh dear. They both looked down to the betraying pieces of paper around their wrists.

“Uhh...” was the only sound that emitted from their of them as McGee’s look changed from questioned to puzzled to resolved.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Or how the others sound out their secret. The two other times this had happened it actually hadn’t been a date, and now... well, the third time’s was the charm.


End file.
